Jayme Stokes views her job as a Principal of Ouachita Christian School as both a calling and a ministry. With over 30 years in education, Jayme has a wealth of knowledge of how we can prepare our children for time and eternity. No stranger to pain, Jayme has experienced many challenges and endured much loss, yet she has allowed it to teach her to live with intentionality and lean on her faithful God. That is why her favorite hashtag is #teachmetonumbermydays!

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ There is hope for parents who feel as if they have “messed up” with their children because God is working to make it part of their story for the Kingdom. When we willfully give our children to God, He will work it out for their good.

️ Look for the fingerprints of God. Not every situation is good, but what God will bring out of our lives will be good if we allow Him to heal us.

️ It is healthy for our children to struggle with the question of “is God real?” Keeping an open dialogue with them will allow them to come back to God when something falls apart in their world.

️ Everything that passes through our lives has already passed through God’s hands and He is equipping us for it. Reading the Psalms gives us perspective on every facet of our lives, including anxiety and depression.

️ Our children want us to be a safe place for them. Letting them unload their emotions/feelings to us helps free them from their worries.

About Our Guest:

Jayme Stokes is married to Bobby (aka “Big Bob”) and together they have four children and nine grandchildren. She holds multiple degrees in education and currently serves as the Principal at Ouachita Christian School as well as a dual enrollment and online psychology instructor. Jayme enjoys reading, growing heirloom roses, and travel. You can follow her blog at www.shelteredingrace.com

There’s never been a better time to be a girl in today’s world or a to be a mom raising girls! Even though this generation has its share of challenges, young girls who find their identity in Christ will eventually find their purpose in this world. Amy Cate Smith and Lindsey Reed Curl give us great insight on how to minister to today’s girl.

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ We serve a God who is personable and seeks to partner with us to promote the Gospel to others. Be listening and He will speak.

️ Losing a loved one at a young age can result in a season of darkness, but with a child-like faith, we can allow the Father to shield and protect us. He is a perfect Daddy.

️ When we meet Jesus, He shows us our sin and pours out His mercy with tenderness. God never fails us.

️ We must be aware that there is an enemy who is pursuing us even as we are pursuing God. We have to know his tactics and stand on the Word of God.

️ Ministering to girls requires understanding their feelings. The goal is to teach her that her identity is in Christ and help her discover her purpose is in the world.

About Our Guests:

Amy Cate Smith and Lindsey Reed Curl are owners of the ministry Girl Talk, a Christ-centered community for girls and moms. Based out of Alabama, Girl Talk serves over sixteen communities and is now offering online Bible studies for middle school to high school ages. You can find Girl Talk at girltalkministries.info or on Instagram @girltalkministies_

Shantray Smith is a beautiful, professional woman who is full of amazing wisdom on how we can see ourselves as God sees us. After taking a good long look in the mirror, Shantray was able to forgive herself and begin the journey to healing and freedom. Now she views her life as a blessing that is less about herself, but more about how she can glorify the Lord.

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ Trauma can be the catalyst for resiliency and the desire for a better life.

️ If we have a true relationship with the Lord, we are allowed to have a question-based conversation with Him. Doing so allows Him to reveal the root of what may be holding us back from a life of freedom.

️ We can’t change the past, but we can shift our perspective and change how we see it and how we view ourselves.

️ Forgiveness often begins with the hard work of forgiving ourselves. Forgiveness is something that the enemy can not counterfeit.

️ Our redemption story often requires us looking in the mirror and seeing ourselves as God sees us. We have to be willing to love ourselves if we are going to love others.

About Our Guest:

Shantray Smith is the Director of Counseling Services at Mercy Multiplied CWC and a graduate of University of Louisiana at Monroe. In addition to being a licensed professional counselor, Shantray is a daughter of the King and a minister of the gospel. She and her husband, Jonathan, live in Monroe, Louisiana.

Steven Keirsey is passionate about helping the next generation find their voice by pointing them to the Voice of Truth. After a long season of timidity, Steven was able to step into the light and fulfill his calling as a student minister. No matter if you are the parent of a teenager or a teenager yourself, you will be encouraged by Steven’s insight on how to connect with and pray for America’s youth.

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ Sharing our stories is a powerful and unique way to promote the gospel. If we are willing to testify to God’s faithfulness, then we can reach others for the sake of Christ.

️ Timidity can lead to insecurity and self-depreciation, which is actually a form of selfishness. Light defeats the darkness and can allow us to find our voice and let go of our fear.

️ Moments of submission can lead to our greatest rescue…if we are willing to follow the voice of truth.

️ For today’s youth, most of their communication is done digitally. We are wise to learn how to connect to their world, finding creative ways to use technology to promote the truth of God’s Word.

️ Living authentic lives in front of our teenagers is the best thing that we can do to point them to Jesus. We need to let them see us having a real and raw relationship with Christ.

About Our Guest:

Steven Keirsey is the North Monroe Student Pastor. He is a North Louisiana native having been born in Monroe, raised in West Monroe, and attaining his B.L.A at Louisiana Tech in Ruston. He brings 7 years of camp/ministry experience to the table as well as 7 years of staff experience at North Monroe. Formerly, he worked as the Associate Summer Camp Director at Seeker Springs as well as holding many other positions there. Now a part of the North Monroe family, he serves the student ministry to help develop a sense of belonging and leading bible studies to help them become more like Christ.

After receiving the diagnosis that her son, Jey, was autistic, Jan never gave up praying that she would one day hear her son speak. After years of consistent and desperate prayer, Jan and her husband experienced a modern day miracle when Jey spoke his first full sentence at 4 1/2 years old. You will be encouraged by this touching story of a mother’s faithfulness to pray until the Light broke through!

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ God has an interesting way of preparing us for what is to come. He gives us confirmations that allow us to prepare our hearts and minds for the future.

️ Comparison is a trap that every new mom must overcome, regardless of developmental delays.

️ God places friendships in our lives to give us the courage to seek help/diagnosis when the time is right.

️ When we pray without ceasing for our children, we can have the confidence that God hears our prayers.

️ We can be a blessing to others who are walking a similar path as us and shine the light that God has given us. That is what community is all about!

About Our Guest:

Jan is from Rayville, Louisiana. She is married to Josh and they have 2 children – Jey (7 years old) and Evy (4 years old) and an American Brittany dog named Belle. Jan owns an Interior Decorating / Home Design Company- Strickland Interiors where she decorates, remodels, and makes selections for new construction homes in Northeast Louisiana. She has been the lead designer for the Monroe, Louisiana St. Jude Dream Homes for the past 5 years and is now about to start on her 6th home as lead designer. On a personal level, Jan and Josh became very involved in the local Autism Society of North Louisiana and helped to get a bill passed a couple years back HB 317 to have an Autism designation printed on learner’s permits and driver’s licenses.

Mary Helen Blanchard is the author of Shirley’s Story - The Heart Always Remembers, a beloved children’s book about Shirley the Elephant and her reunion with a younger elephant she knew from years ago. Throughout this heart-warming interview, Mary Helen reminds us that, just like the elephants, we can find joy in the midst of grief and eventually allow our pain to bring us to a place of deep gratitude.

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ If the Lord puts a dream in our hearts, then we can rest that He will be faithful to bring it to fruition. In the meantime, we delight in Him.

️ God’s grace can be tangible when we most need it. Jesus is always enough and He is ever-present in our darkness.

️ Grief can be a gift because it can bring forth a closeness to God. However, we must surrender to our grief in order to heal.

️ We can use our pain to encourage others. Perspective is key for us to live with intentionally, embracing the fact that we are only on this earth for a moment in time.

️ Elephants can remember each other even after years of separation and they are known to trumpet at another elephant’s passing. The parallel is that we can grieve with hope when we lose a loved one who has put their faith in Jesus.

About Our Guest:

Mary Helen Blanchard is an educator and author with over 40 years teaching and writing experience.  As a young mother and teacher, she would take her 3 children and classroom students to visit The Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe, LA and there they would see lonely Shirley the Elephant, with her crooked leg and torn ear.  When the story of Shirley and a younger elephant’s reunion unfolded, Mary Helen knew that Shirley’s story had to be told in a format for children.  Mary Helen now resides in Mandeville, Louisiana where she continues to enjoy providing professional development for teachers, writing, and reading to her nine grandchildren.

Dr. Marty was diagnosed as an infant with cancer in both of his eyes, which over time has taken the majority of his eyesight. However, instead of seeing this diagnosis as a millstone around his neck, he resolved to use it as an opportunity to encourage others who find themselves in dark seasons of their lives. You will definitely be inspired by this interview with a man who desires nothing more than for God to get the glory He deserves!

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ Any hardship or accomplishment can be used to bring God glory. When we surrender the process to Him, we can see the beauty in any situation.

️ Leaning in to the Lord allows us to be sharpened so that we can see with spiritual eyes and not just physical.

️ When we are faithful to encourage others in the opportunities that God gives us, He will be faithful to elevate us to the next level.

️ We are called to wake up and pay attention to what God is calling us to next. When we live in the light, then we can reflect His radiance and encourage others to walk in their calling too.

️ Strongholds can be either good or bad depending on who we are putting our faith in. Jesus is the only one who brings true freedom to our fear and anxiety and can heal our past trauma.

About Our Guest:

Marty Carroll is a Professional Counselor in Sterlington, LA with special training and skill in assessing patient mental health and treating cognitive, psychological, and behavioral disorders using a wide variety of therapy techniques. Marty resides in Oak Grove with his wife Michelle and has most recently taken on the role hosting a show on the local radio station there.

Jennifer Clark is beautiful soul who knows what it means to delight herself in the Lord, but she also regularly experiences the Lord delighting over her. Within this warm conversation you will learn the art of delighting as well as hear the important role that summer camp plays in the lives of our youth.

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ Ministry can confront us with our greatest insecurities and also our greatest pride. The antidote to these two things is abiding and knowing that we are His beloved.

️ When we lay down our striving, we are free to delight ourselves in Him. Additionally, the Lord gives us gifts to show us that He sees us and that He delights in us.

️ Meditating on Scripture helps us change the narrative and erase feelings of being unchosen or unworthy. The Lord will redeem the memories and speak truth over our lives, calling us both His chosen and His beloved.

️ Leadership through the world’s eyes is different than how the Lord views leadership. The Lord looks at the heart and is at work in unique ways within each of His children.

️ Summer camp can serve as a safe place for children to grow into their walk with the Lord. It also equips them to share the gospel with others.

About Our Guest:

Jennifer Clark is a woman who wears many hats. She is first and foremost a wife to Nolan and mom to Cullen and Austin. She is a speech language pathologist and teaches in the Speech Department at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Jennifer also serves with her husband as camp stewards of King’s Camp in MerRouge, Louisiana, which serves hundreds of children each summer as they encounter the Lord.

Kila and Cesar Gonzales have an incredible story of how God brought beauty from ashes after the loss of their daughter to a rare disease. Through a series of God-orchestrated miracles, the Gonzales family is living proof that we can still praise a faithful God even after a season of despair.

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ Seasons of waiting can bring an intimacy into our marriage that produces a fertile ground for going deeper in our relationship with both God and each other.

️ Miscarriage and/or the loss of a child for a woman is emotionally painful, but it also affects the husband.

️ Desperation ushers forth a desire to be close to the Lord. It’s in those moments that we can press in to Him and the result is often a spiritual closeness that is only found in the valley.

️ Even in moments of deep sadness, there are reasons to rejoice in the Lord’s faithfulness. And eventually we can use our pain to comfort others.

️ New children don’t replace the ones who are lost. We must give ourselves and/or others permission to grieve the loss. However, through the hope we have in Jesus we can live.

About Our Guests:

Kila and Cesar Gonzales are parents to five children. They have three living children, Maxwell (7), Mia (3) & Luke (12 months), and two babies awaiting them in heaven, Gabriella and Eva Katherine. Kila is a Registered Nurse who after enduring years of infertility and pregnancy and infant loss, including the devastating death of her newborn daughter, Eva, Kila found a fierce passion for supporting families experiencing the same heartache she faced. This passion is what compelled her to become a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula and start the Non-Profit Organization, iwillcarryyou.net  Dr. Cesar Gonzales owns New Hope Addiction Recovery, an outpatient addiction treatment center with locations in Monroe and Bossier City, Louisiana, and is personally and professionally committed to the treatment of Chemically Dependent individuals and their families. He is passionate about seeing his patients recover and live the lives that they deserve, free from the bondage of addiction.

Adams and April are celebrating their 21st wedding anniversary and today they share their best marriage advice. They are by no means a perfect couple, but rather they are a real and authentic couple who are still daily working on their marriage. Life has not always been easy for Adams and April, and they have endured some serious seasons of darkness, but the Lord has been faithful to strengthen their marriage through it all. You are invited to hear their story of how they have been able to survive the pits and enjoy the peaks of marriage!

Below are some of our favorite takeaways from today’s show:

️ View marriage as a triangle with God at the top and the two spouses at the base. If both spouses are always reaching toward God, then they will inevitably come together as one.

️ Marriage is a two-way street and we are better together than apart. We shouldn’t focus on meeting each other 50/50, but rather 100/100. Go further than you think you should.

️ Some pits are brought our way due to external influences (such as grief or pain) and some are internal (i.e. pride). It’s how we work through them with a teachable spirit that can produce healing for both spouses.

️ Some valleys of darkness that we will experience in our marriage is simply unfixable. However, it’s an important distinction to know that our spouse is not our Savior, but he/she can point us to Him.

️ Spiritual leadership in the home starts with the husband humbling himself enough to serve his wife. Submission is actually a position of strength and when both spouses view it in that light, a marriage can truly thrive.

About Our Guest:

Adams Rodgers is the better half of April. He likes to say that he “married up,” but in reality, he is the one who has blessed April’s life beyond comprehension. Adams is a girl dad to two gorgeous daughters, Addie and Ella, whom he adores and takes on dates regularly. He loves to fish and is an extremely talented drum player. Adams also runs a successful financial planning business and has consistently been selected by Forbes as a Best-in-State Wealth Advisor.